I really loved this funny, warm and human story - I was torn between reading it in one go and not wanting to read too fast so it didn't end! I loved the characters and the story line, it made me laugh out loud several times/ A real gem of a read - I do hope there's another.

I was sent a copy of Friends of Dorothy by Sandi Toksvig to read and review by NetGalley. I loved this book – what a breath of fresh air! It is funny, poignant, heartfelt and very very readable. The characters are lovely, a real mish mash of humanity. The sense of place is wonderful, I could easily conjure up all the settings in my mind and everything felt very real and plausible. Many important issues are woven throughout the story, though treated with a lightness of touch that means you have food for thought but don’t feel preached at. A triumph!

Until I started this book, I hadn't realised quite how much I needed to read a farfetched story about an elderly squatter called Dorothy! In contrast to much global news, the characters are kind to each other allowing love to win through and pleasingly, Ms Toksvig managed to keep it on the heartwarming side of schmaltzy.
Thank you to netgalley and Little Brown for an advance copy of this book

I love Sandie Toksvig so I was looking forward to reading this and I wasn’t disappointed. It all starts when young married couple, police officer Stevie and her wife paramedic Amber are buying their first house together. 4, Grimaldi Square needs some works doing to it but they are following their dreams that is until they realise the previous owner is still in the house, with no intention of leaving. There’s a lot going on and it was all a bit chaotic at first but as it went on I found myself quite engrossed in their lives.

Briefly, Dorothy is an 80 year old lady with the spirit of a young woman and a very stubborn mentality. Despite everything Stevie and Amber try Dorothy is not for moving! It’s not long before Amber begins to warm to the idea of Dorothy staying a bit longer but Stevie is a harder nut to crack.

I’m notorious at not getting humour in books but even I cracked a few smiles reading this. Dorothy was the most infuriating, stubborn woman but also full of sarcastic witticisms and more vulnerable than she seems. There are lots of wonderful characters in the book including the self effacing Jack and his housebound grandmother Birdie, crotchety neighbour Mrs Haggerston and the lovely builders who come to right Dorothy’s wrongs! This isn’t just a lighthearted read though as it covers issues such as sexual prejudice and abuse. An entertaining read.

This book had an interesting premise, Stevie and Amber buy a house but when they go to move in the previous owner Dorothy is still resident with no intention of moving! This is a fast moving heart warming read that I will definitely be recommending to others, it has lovable characters (Hiya Jack!) and makes you appreciate what you have - a definite recommendation from me.

Sandi Toksvig and Victoria Wood are the two funniest women I’ve ever had the pleasure of spending an evening with at the theatre. Both left my face aching from laughing so much. Having really enjoyed [book:Flying Under Bridges|624169] years ago, I’ve been waiting for ST to entertain me to the same degree. Sadly, this book doesn’t do it.

The premise is that two women buy a house together and when they move in, Dorothy, the vendor, is still living there and has no plans to leave. Shades of Alan Bennett’s [book:The Lady in the Van|1389703], I thought, and so not particularly original. An open mind and a few amusing conversations kept me interested for a while but I kept wondering where the storyline was going. The answer is not very far! It just meanders on, addressing various issues as it goes but without any real cohesion. I admit to skimming a bit, something I only do when I’m losing patience with a book, in order to find out if the ending was worth it. It wasn’t (for me), mainly because I wasn’t invested in any of the characters and didn’t care what happened to any of them.

With thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group for a review copy. I am pleased to have been given the opportunity to read this and sorry that it has left me feeling so disappointed.

Amber and Stevie move into the house of their dreams.
Although in a run down area the house has potential.
On moving day they find the previous owner has not moved out. All her belongings have gone apart from a red sofa on which she is sitting.
Their lives change on that day most of it for the better.

What I love about Sandi Toksvig's writing is that she knows us. She knows our hearts, our weaknesses, our very British need to be polite even when it is awkward and how bonkers women can be at all times. She writes and we are there, in the room, seeing and feeling it all - smelling the smells and shutting our fingers in the broken door.
I felt cosy and comfortable within the first few paragraphs of the book and I kept turning pages because I was comfortable - I was with people I wanted to read about in a situation that was just so bonkers.
Do read this, and breathe out. Have a cup of tea and a biscuit. Let yourself enjoy the pleasure of being told a great story by one of our national treasures. She simply brings joy.

The rebuilding of a community mostly at the hand of Dorothy, who gently meddles in the lives and business of new Grimaldi square residents Stevie and Amber, their friend Jack, a trio of builders and countless other people.
Full of lovely, flamboyant and believable characters with lots of joy to counter the sad parts and heartache this is a fantastic read!
Loved it!

Fun and enjoyable book from Sandi full of quirky but believable characters. Sad in part but also uplifting and full of warmth from the evident community spirit. Dorothy is just a delightful, slightly eccentric, old lady re-evaluating her life and is a catalyst to those around her to boost their own lives. Certainly a book to lift the spirits.

A fabulous story! So funny, and still poignant at times. The characters really came alive and had some wonderful stories to tell. I loved the idea of a made family. Very supportive and accepting.
Brilliant!

Another wonderful read from Sandi! A lovely company of unique and well-rounded characters who are more than friends for Dorothy - they are her family. This is very much a book about made families and not blood relations. I loved their individual pocket stories and how they were all skillfully woven together to make the whole. A lovely cost read that will make you smile :)

A nice idea and funny in parts, it just didn't hit the spot for me. A bit too complicated and far fetched.

I loved this book so much, the characters were fabulous and it was so easy to get into the story. The idea of moving into your new home and the previous owner is still in residence is an inspired idea. I enjoyed how the story unfolded and how creative Sandy is. The whole premise made me smile.

This is the second book by Sandi Toksvig which I have read, and always enjoy her dry wit and sense of humour. The main characters Stevie and her wife Amber, have bought their first home in Grimaldi Road, but are disconcerted to find Dorothy, the previous owner still living there.

The dialogue is filled with laugh out loud laughter as the story unfolds. Stevie and Amber are compassionate, empathetic personalities, along with others such as Dorothy and Jack, who bring so much humour to the plot. All characters are well drawn, especially Dorothy with her wicked straight talking, and Jack doing his best (in his own way) to help Stevie and Amber.

Along with the humour, issues such as homophobia and LGBT issues are sensitively explored. Character driven, the setting is in a faded area of London, with many people leaving and houses becoming derelict, yet communities thrive and help each other.

The book is a celebration about people and communities facing hardship and tough times, yet, through laughter and making light of serious issues, survive and thrive. I loved this book, and would love to see a sequel with the same wonderful cast of characters.

'Friends of Dorothy' by Sandi Toksvig.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
A heartwarming story about finding families in the most unusual of places. You'll laugh and you'll cry.

After much searching, Amber and Stevie find the perfect house - a bit shabby but with potential - in Grimaldi Square. Just the two of them; a place where they can start their lives together. Recently married, they want to begin a family (with the help of their gay best friend, Jack). Despite the rundown pub across the way, the overgrown garden and a decidedly nosy neighbour, it's the house of their dreams.
But they are not alone in this dream.
Upstairs, squatting on an old red sofa, is the former owner - eighty-year-old foul-mouthed, straight-talking, wise-cracking Dorothy - and she's not going anywhere.

Thanks so much to NetGallery UK, the publishers and the author for letting me read this in return for an honest review.

Wow! This is a delight. It’s a story that had me laughing out loud and I thoroughly enjoyed every page.

It’s so well written and I cared deeply about every (well, nearly every) character.

Stevie and Amber are a young married couple who are very excited to move into their recently purchased new home. Upon arrival, however, they find Dorothy, the previous owner asleep upstairs and it appears she is staying.

What follows is a brilliant observation about English society, prejudices, family dynamics and all interspersed with the residents of a tightly knit close and others who come and go. It’s the perfect escapism read and I highly recommend it. Would make a fabulous Christmas gift.

Thanks to NetGalley and Little Brown Group for the opportunity to preview in exchange for this honest review and I wish the author every success.

Stevie and Amber have bought a house together to start their new life as long term partners, but unfortunately the previous owner- Dorothy is still there sitting on the sofa. I was intrigued to read one of Sandi’s novels, expecting it to be light hearted and funny, I’m sorry to say I found it hard to engage with this one.

Despite this not being was I was expecting, it was still an enjoyable read. I went in thinking it was going to be a funny + lighthearted but some heavy topics are covered, which is life but just unexpected. There are genuine moments of genuine laugh out loud humour where Sandi Toksvig’s humour & wit shine through.

★★★
———————
I want to thank NetGalley and Little Brown Book Group for the opportunity to review this book.

A soul searching, intelligent novel, with a plethora of eccentric, unique characters.
Something of an emotional roller coaster......with the wit and humour we have come to expect from Sandi, mixed with huge dollops of thought provoking stuff.
A good read.